Resorts

Garden Route Travel Guide

The stretch of southern coastline between the town of
Heidelberg and the Tsitsikamma National Park makes up South
Africa's well-travelled Garden Route, scattered with popular resort
towns. Spectacular mountain ranges backs the coastal plain,
offering scenic lakes, indigenous forests, golden beaches, and
secluded bays.

The main cities on the route are George and Mossel
Bay. George is a bustling commercial centre with some good hotels
making it a convenient central point from which to explore the
coastal region.

From George it is also a short drive inland over the
Outeniqua Mountains to Oudtshoorn, site of the world-renowned Cango
Caves and home to several ostrich farms that welcome visitors to
enjoy their entertaining and educational tours. Other popular
holiday towns on the Garden Route include Knysna, Wilderness,
Nature's Valley, and Plettenberg Bay.

The Garden Route encompasses a wide variety of
attractions from historic sites to scenic vistas, with the
spectacular beaches and nature reserves the main highlight. There
are ample opportunities to interact with nature, and you may spot
whales, dolphins, seals, baboons, and nearly 300 species of
bird.

To make the most of the area one needs to stray from
the national N2 highway and explore the towns, villages, and
resorts en route, but this major highway does make roadtripping
easy. A fun way of enjoying the scenery is to ride on the Outeniqua
Choo-Choo vintage steam train between George and Knysna. There are
also great recreational opportunities to enthral active
holidaymakers, from bungee jumping and water sports, to hiking
trails and canopy tours.

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